National Pigs in a Blanket Day

The story

National Pigs in a Blanket Day is a celebration of a beloved comfort food: pork sausages or hotdogs wrapped in pastry. This delectable treat has a fascinating history, dating back to the 1600s when British field laborers created a quick and nourishing meal by encasing meat in dough, laying the foundation for pigs in a blanket. In the United States, the credit for popularizing this culinary delight goes to Betty Crocker, whose 1957 cookbook, ”Cooking for Kids,“ featured the first simple recipe for pigs in a blanket.

From that moment on, this snack evolved from a child's flour-smudged experiment to a chic cocktail party appetizer, with variations ranging from fancy pastry crust to pre-made biscuits in a tube. Whether it's a plain hotdog or a gourmet sausage enveloped in your favorite dough, pigs in a blanket are the ubiquitous snack for any occasion. While some speculate about its origins in the Far East, Czechoslovakia, or Germany, the earliest documented mention of pigs in a blanket is from Betty Crocker's cookbook.

Since then, the phrase ”pigs in a blanket“ has become synonymous with sausages wrapped in dough, enjoyed worldwide in various forms and with diverse ingredients. The celebration of National Pigs in a Blanket Day extends beyond the United States, with different countries putting their own twist on this delicious snack. In the UK, it's small cocktail sausages wrapped in bacon, while in Mexico, they're known as ”Salchitaco's.“

In Germany, they call it ”Würstchen im Schlafrock,“ translating to ”sausage in a dressing gown.“ China has its own variation called Lap Cheong Bao.